New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is expected to hold significant discussions with his counterparts from several Southeast nations besides foreign ministers of Australia, Japan and the United States, over the next few days at the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ gathering in the Laotian capital of Vientiane and the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Tokyo.
The EAM will be in Laos from July 25-27 to participate in the Foreign Ministers’ Meetings under the ASEAN framework in the format of ASEAN-India, East Asia Summit(EAS) and ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF).
The 57th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM) will be attended by over 1000 delegates, including foreign ministers and representatives from 31 countries.
ASEAN countries remain an important pillar of India’s ‘Act East’ policy and key partner of its Indo-Pacific Vision underlined by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR) vision.
As many as 25 ministerial meetings are being hosted by Laos in its capacity as 2024 ASEAN Chair under the theme of ‘ASEAN: Enhancing Connectivity and Resilience’ from July 22 to 27.
“The visit underlines India’s deep engagement with and the importance India attaches to the ASEAN-centred regional architecture, our strong commitment to ASEAN unity, ASEAN centrality, the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) and taking forward the ASEAN-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement on Tuesday.
“It is of particular significance that this year marks a decade of India’s Act East Policy which was announced by Prime Minister at the 9th East Asia Summit in 2014,” it added.
In Vientiane, EAM Jaishankar will not only be holding bilateral meetings with Saleumxay Kommasith, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Laos, but also with his counterparts from other countries on the margins of the ASEAN-related meetings.
The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy and foreign ministers of several other countries will also be in Vientiane for the Asean meetings.
From Laos, the EAM will travel to Tokyo to participate in the next meeting of the Quad Foreign Ministers’ on July 29 along with the Foreign Ministers of Australia, and the United States.
“The Ministers will take forward discussions held during the last meeting in New York in September 2023 and exchange views on developments in the Indo-Pacific region, and review progress on Quad initiatives and working groups,” the MEA stated.
“The Ministers would discuss regional and international issues, and guide future collaboration to achieve the shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific region by addressing contemporary priorities of the region through delivery of public goods,” it ministry detailed.
During the Tokyo visit, EAM Jaishankar is also scheduled to hold discussions with his Japanese counterpart Yoko Kamikawa to further strengthen the growing partnership between the two countries.
(IANS)
